'This is American history:' See photos around the US as the nation celebrates Juneteenth
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Black coastal town celebrate history while fighting to preserve it
Officials in Eagle Harbor, a Black coastal town in Maryland, reflects on its rich history and legacy ahead of Juneteenth.
Across the United States on Thursday, June 19, Americans celebrated the federal holiday commemorating the day the last group of enslaved African Americans were informed they were free.
The day, dubbed Juneteenth, reflects on a moment when the promise of freedom first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence became a reality for more of its citizens.
In 2021, then-President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. It officially named the holiday that has been long celebrated by Black people and beyond with dancing, parades, ceremonies and historical reenactments.
The holiday marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – that Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union Army troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state.
This year's celebrations took place across the country, with the lessons of history as important as ever.
'This is American history': From Galveston to Concord, 5 communities keep Juneteenth stories alive
Juneteenth in Illinois
The city of Peoria, in Central Illinois, celebrated the day with a parade, poetry and a picnic. An area festival also featured food, musical performances, a bake-off and more.
More than 1,000 miles north east, in Worchester, Massachusetts, the YWCA hosted Juneteenth celebrations with a flag raising ceremony and a vow to keep tradition and the history alive, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
"We are not here to celebrate," said Sha-Asia Medina, a volunteer with the area's Black Heritage Committee. "This is something to acknowledge and honor our ancestors, but the attack on our history and culture continues. This Juneteenth is important, especially given the time that we're in."
Here are other photos of Americans celebrating the relatively new holiday across the United States in cities including Atlanta, New York and Savannah.
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